Ancient Times on Soft Power Records

Is there anyone who'll be able to step into the huge shoes that Morrissey's going to leave behind? Jens Lekman is the most likely candidate with his combination of ironic, cutting lyrics over perfectly arranged, simple pop. That tone can be impossibly tricky; you don't want to get too cute to the point no one can take you seriously while still having the technical proficiency and style to reference classic songwriting. Coming up with something classic and contemporary is what Ancient Times has done on a single out today from Soft Power Records I can't help but compare to The Miserablist and get excited about this early period of an artist with this level of talent on their very first single.

On A-Side's "Nightschool" a warbled muddy phaser of jangle riffs leads to shiny production and a decisive thick and layered melody. George Smale's vocal is a dead ringer for early Morrissey. Completely eerie; a lost B-Side from decades ago with a caught in the throat, crooning delivery, hesitant and buried in the mix but with the clarity and conviction of that focused pop. A tiny tight reverb over the vocal and a hint of home made power that's taking chances with the production and pop structure. It's easy to hear how he fell in love with this melody separated out into this bass line. It all comes down to this great vocal that isn't overly trained, I think that's what I always appreciated about Morrissey too, he never sounded like he was overly playing his hand, he was precise but not ornate. I don't think George would appreciate the comparison actually. Who would want to have to live up to that legacy? Instead imagine The Smiths broke up after Strangeways and tadd Ancient Times into your random mix. Ignore that huge statue for just a minute. His instrumentation leaves those intimate moments intact, it doesn't suffer from such over the top perfection that it's off putting. This keeps a human fingerprint on the track, a sincere page in an interesting diary that isn't pretentious in the least.

B-Side's "Hieroglyphic" leads with a solid bass line / snare foundation and George's vocal is even closer with that same slight vibrato of later Morrissey's baritone. This mix compared to the A-Side is a lot bigger and focused on filling the space. George has got that sense of a good narrative, more abstract maybe but keeping this a pop song above all else, not worried about what might or might not make this a hit on any sort of radar - this exists to be the kind of track that's waiting to get to that jangle chorus which will have you forever singing along to this.

Super limited and import only, good luck tracking this down but obviously it's worth the effort. On Soft Power Records. Close you eyes and imagine it's 1984 - in that good way.

The Smiths - 12x7" on Rhino

I was lucky enough this year to get a bunch of amazing reissued smiths singles, but I had no idea they have been compiled into this box set!
I'm going to take this as another sign of a vinyl's aftershock. To be able to press 10,000 copies that I'm sure they aren't going to have any trouble selling. Rhino Uk won't ship to the states but I saw it at Ameoba in LA, or ebay. It might be on insound, but the site is down right now for a 4.0 overhaul, so no link.
I've always seen these come up here and there on ebay....usually as a lot that goes for a ton. But thanks to this reissue it's possible to pick them up again from your local record store. I can't argue with that. I think if something is demanding these high prices, it should be reissued. I'm a 7" socialist...spread the wealth. I don't want to hoard that White Stripes subpop single. I wish there was a cheap repress....I'd definitely get it.
I think it's messing with my head a little and the subpop year 3 club. People must have bought it just to ebay because they go up the day they show up in the mail. It seems like they could have pressed more...and then the whole Matador/Jay debacle. It has to turn people off from seven inches...like it's this unattainable thing you don't even want to touch. It perpetuates the comic nerd of the vinyl world. So I'm the simpsons comic book guy of 7" records. I've come to terms with it....but I'd like to have a few friends. (cue sad bastard morrissey singles)

12 singles issued chronologically...and this really puts that time period into perspective...it's incredible to see these B-sides. When you bought a Smiths single you were getting 'Asleep', or 'Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want'....there weren't any throwaway 'remixes'. Just a perfect single. There's nothing that can bring me back to high school than a Smiths tape on a crappy walkman bouncing around on the back of the bus.

With a couple of them that are completely impossible to get...weird sleeves and never before issued stuff, it's pretty amazing. It should help to keep the prices of these in check a little too. I always tell myself I'll bid on one here and there...I mean...I know it's a lifetime of work. The holy grail of singles....my White Whale.
Thanks Morrissey.

Morrissey - that's how people grow up.

It's interesting how Morrissey went from all those covers of weird 50's soap opera stars to pictures of himself. I just can not imagine this guys life. He's from that time where there was a struggling alternative to mainstream music. The music that was on the radio, the only way to hear music...anything....except for 120 minutes. 2 hours a week. That's it.
I think it's interesting how progressive England was in that time, that time period was some kind of heyday for The Cure, Morrissey, the Smiths, Siouxsie and the Banshees...it seemed like in high school at one point I was practically buying Doc Martins and practicing a fucking accent.
Between this stuff and punk, One of my friends started saying 'Bloody' all the time and driving me crazy. Throw in Clockwork Orange and Sid and Nancy, and that's a recipe for a seriously weird time in rural upstate NY. Everything everywhere else was awesome.
I did take a good route through the Smiths to get to Morrissey though. My friend Jay who I skated with lent me some tapes from his shoeboxes of awesome music. It was a weird shock later to watch some live video of him playing live during this Smiths time, like Rocky Horror it was like some kind of club that I didn't get, the flowers, running on stage to molest him, I started to see an even different side to Morrissey.
I guess he's my generations equivalent of Frank Sinatra or something, I know all the songs...they can be annoying sometimes, or just overplayed in my head. He's a strange character, but if he's still with me then I know he's never leaving.

And I have a dream one day of having a bunch of smiths singles I can put on and remember riding the bus and having my mind blown by this outside world.

From Turntable Lab
Deluxe slipsleeve 45 for this outstanding new track from the Mozzer. "That's How People Grow Up(1)" is another storming Moz/Boz Boorer composition in an early solo era style, and it's way better than anything from his last album (which was actually not bad). But of course the real deal here is the live version of the Smiths classic "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side(2)" on the flip. It was recorded live at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Nebraska last year and it shows that Morrissey has hardly lost a step. Sweet packaging and center label from the revived Decca label as well.

Another weird thing is the Smiths live track on the B-side? Good, because this later stuff can be hit or miss.